Veronica plant named ‘Darwin&#39;s Blue’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant named ‘Darwin&#39;s Blue’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely flowering habit; and dark violet blue-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Veronica spicata.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronicaplant, botanically known as Veronica spicata, and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Darwin's Blue’.

The new Veronica is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of anunidentified selection of Veronica spicata, not patented. The newVeronica was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment inHillegom, The Netherlands, within a population of plants of theunidentified selection in 1998. The selection of this new Veronica wasbased on its dark violet blue flower color. Plants of the new Veronicahave darker violet blue-colored flowers than plants of the parentselection.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings taken atHillegom, The Netherlands since 1999, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Veronica are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Darwin's Blue have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity,daylength, and fertilizer rate without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Darwin's Blue’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Darwin's Blue’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Upright plant habit.

2. Freely flowering habit.

3. Dark violet blue-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Veronica.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Darwin's Blue’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a close-up viewof typical inflorescences of ‘Darwin's Blue’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a close-upview of the upper surface of mature and young leaves of ‘Darwin's Blue’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plants ofthe new cultivar grown in the field under outdoor conditions during thesummer in Hillegom, The Netherlands. Plants used in the photographs andthe detailed botanical description were about 25 weeks from plantingrooted cuttings. Color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical classification: Veronica spicata cultivar Darwin's Blue.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unidentifiedselection of Veronica spicata, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.

Time to produce a rooted liner.—About 30 days during the spring inHillegom, The Netherlands.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous.

Plant description:

Form.—Upright, broad inverted triangle.

Usage.—Perennial garden plant.

Crop time.—From cuttings, about 25 weeks are required to producefully-grown flowering plants in 1.5-liter containers.

Plant height.—About 40 cm.

Area of spread.—About 50 cm.

Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.

Branching habit.—Very freely branching; about 14 lateral branchesdevelop per plant.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internodelength: About 5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 143A to 143C.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, opposite, generally symmetrical,durable and long persisting. Length: About 7 cm. Width: About 2.2 cm.Shape: Narrowly ovate to lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate.Margin: Serrulate. Texture: Upper surface: Glabrous. Lower surface:Pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young foliage, uppersurface: 141A. Young foliage, lower surface: 138A. Mature foliage, uppersurface: 137A. Mature foliage, lower surface: 137C. Venation, uppersurface: 137A. Venation, lower surface: 143C. Petiole: Length: About 5mm. Diameter: About 1 by 2 mm. Texture, both surfaces: Smooth. Color:Upper surface 137A. Lower surface: 137C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single campanulate dark violet blue-coloredflowers arranged in upright racemes; flowers face mostly outward.Flowers not persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous during the summer fromearly July to mid-September in Hillegom, The Netherlands.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering with one to five flowering racemesper lateral branch and more than 140 open flowers and flower buds perflowering raceme.

Fragrance.—Not detected.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 6 to 8 days.

Flower longevity as a cut flower.—More than 14 days.

Flower buds.—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 1.75 cm. Shape:Elliptic. Color: 93C to 93D.

Corolla.—Arrangement: Four-parted, petals fused at base, cupped orcampanulate. Flower diameter: About 6 mm. Flower height (depth): About 8mm. Petal length: About 5 mm. Petal width: About 4 mm. Petal shape:Obovate. Petal apex: Obtuse. Petal margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,sparsely covered with very short, less than 0.1 mm, pale grayish hairsat the base. Petal color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 93B.Opened flower, upper surface: 93A to 93B. Opened flower, lower surface:93B.

Calyx.—Calyx length: About 3 mm. Calyx diameter: About 2 mm. Sepalarrangement: Four fused at base, campanulate. Sepal shape: Lanceolate.Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, both surfaces:Smooth. Sepal color, both surfaces: 137A to 137B.

Peduncle.—Angle: About 45 to 60° from stem. Strength: Strong. Length:About 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: 137A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Stamen quantity: Two per flower. Anthershape: Reniform; dorsifixed. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:Towards center, close to 93C, towards margins, close to 155D. Pollenamount: Moderate to abundant. Pollen color: 4C. Pistils: Pistilquantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape:Flattened. Stigma color: 93A. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color:93A. Ovary color: 143C.

Seed.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Color: Dark grayishbrown.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens or pests common toVeronica has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant named ‘Darwin's Blue’, as illustrated and described. 